So-called experts are always saying that the situation is crucial to the success of a situation comedy. So why is one sitcom about a subject a hit and not another? Back in the mists of time there was... more
Reviews
You’ve got to have an angle when you do a full length Edinburgh Fringe show. Well, it’s maybe not compulsory but when putting together a string of stories it can help to stitch the narrative together... more
It’s great to report that the first episode of Upstart Crow was not a fluke. Writer Ben Elton repeats the trick again in the second episode. In fact if there is a problem here it isn't so much that... more
One of BBC3’s epic fails was axing the relationship sitcom Him & Her. Now at least BBC2 has gone some way towards making amends by commissioning writer Stefan Golaszewski to pen a new comedy, Mum... more
The Amused Moose Laugh Off Final has a pretty good track record at discovering future stars. Previous winners include Sarah Millican and Jack Whitehall. Everyone has their say in the vote – from... more
Philomena Cunk has been one of the most popular elements of Charlie Brooker’s Wipe programmes so it was only a matter of time before she landed a programme of her own. Some bright spark at the BBC... more
A couple of years ago every stand-up with a TV credit under their belt seemed to be knocking out an autobiography as if they were going out of style. Sara Pascoe’s first book is very different to... more
Never mind Leicester winning the league, what odds would you have got on Ben Elton being funny again? But hold the front page Elton has got his mojo back. Well, everything is relative. After his... more
Russell Kane is probably the last person you’d expect to see tramping through the Morocco desert. And it is that juxtaposition which makes Stupid Man, Smart Phone so much fun to watch. The idea is... more
The Windsors is such an obvious idea you can't believe it hasn’t been done before. It has of course, but in rubber. Spitting Image portrayed the royal family as a cartoonish bunch over two decades... more
